Day 10 - Going back

On Monday, the 10th day, I took it easy again. My grandmother wanted to buy me a present, so we went to Colombo, a shopping centre in Lisbon. I wanted to take my grandmother away from her boring daily routine!
We went there and she bought me a shirt and some socks. She usually gives me money, but she decided she wanted to give me something else this time. And off we went.
We had an afternoon snack there and even met Gabriel and a friend. Very nice people.

I took another picture of the area where I live. My building is to the right.

After hitting the shopping centre, my grandmother dragged me to her place. The place where I spent all my childhood, as I lived there with my parents at first and then with my grandparents, until I was 21. It was also there that I took care of my ailing grandfather.

So I know everything there. Many new people came, though. The grocery shop, across from my grandmother's building, is not owned by the same people and actually looks great and not ran down as it used to.
On the other hand there are many people that are not there any more. I guess that's life, but when we come to think of the people, moments and places that we cherish and cannot come back, it can be difficult...

Our first stop was at a lady I call grandmother too, as I know her ever since. She is the true grandmother of two of my childhood friends. She is Idalia and I was thrilled to meet her. She said my grandmother and her will come here to visit me!

After visiting granny Idalia we stopped at a neighbor's place, neighbor Maria. I spent so many hours at her place, playing with her grandson. She is also part of my life.

I talked and talked and talked with all these people. And with these too: my grandmother's next door neighbors. Two more people that are part of who I am and that I have known ever since. Yet another house I spent loads of time at, playing with their daughter and son (who, unfortunately, died when I was in junior high. I remember it so well and I was shocked. I remember telling my mother - who had taken care of him when he was a baby and to whom she was strongly connected - that I could not tell her that it hadn't indeed happened. She cried so much).
Arnaldo and Basilia. And I really like this picture! I had told them "ok, now, make out, please"! They just laughed!

This is the street where I grew up. It's sad to see that the kids don't play outside like we used to. In the summer, we would stay out till midnight playing games and running around. Or we would go to my place and play doctors (not in the "wild" way) or stay in the staircase and have fun. My favorite time was when we played bakeries, with sand from a construction work down the street! We even had a newspaper, from time to time, that we would make ourselves and then sell it around the area.
Good times!

This is Andre, who I used to play with. He is the grandson of neighbor Maria, who always kisses me a lot, when she meets me!
It was nice meeting him, although I didn't stay long. His place, right under my grandmother's, looks great!
Actually, it used to be neighbor Manta's place. She died long ago, but I remember she was so nice and always smelled great. I remember helping her with her paperwork and letters, as she couldn't read.

My grandmother had gone to the pharmacy. A place she loves and where she can take Shauna to, when we get married.
I thought of taking a picture of the kindergarten I went to. It's still there, pretty much as it has always been!
I remember we had to take naps and I would pick my nose and put the buggers on the wall. Or that we would dig a hole on the playground and find "chocolate". And we would always wave at the airplanes flying high above.

I met my grandmother at the pharmacy and we went to the ATM machine to withdraw some money for her. She can't do it alone, so I helped her.
I stayed hours with her, talking to neighbors.

It feels so good going down memory lane...

I went home, had dinner and then met my friend Joao. It's good to know that he is doing good. I kept him company at the Chinese restaurant in central Amadora. Delicious, I have to say. I used to go there with my father, when it was a tinny small place. And actually, I had lunch there by myself and I had shrimp on a hot plate! My mouth is watering as I write!

I slept that night.